How did you start your sewing career? I sewed clothes for my children when they were young but didn’t really enjoy it. In the early 1990s, I was reading an American craft magazine in which I saw an ocean wave quilt and I thought “I can do this”, (yes… an ocean wave quilt was my first quilt!) Of course, I knew nothing about accuracy (1/4 inch seams – what’s that?), cutting with a rotator cutter – I don’t think they were invented then and best of all – cotton? Who needs just cotton when there were so many other fabulous textured fabrics! I used really thick batting and actually hand quilted it. It must have been fun, because I was hooked after that.

What would you do without sewing? I’d go crazy if I didn’t sew!

What are the stitching tools you couldn’t live without? My lightbox, my 20 inch square ruler, Frixion pen, Roxanne’s glue.

Do you cherish the time you spend in your workroom/studio? Oh yes – I do have a day job plus a ‘hundred’ other things I do, so giving myself time to sew is very important for me.

What is it that you love about it most? It unleashes my creativity! Also, I have made so many wonderful friends.

What would you like to change about your workspace? ?Get a bigger studio … but that’s a far distant dream.

How many different crafts do you do? Just one – quilting.

Do you take your stitching with you on holidays? I take my stitching everywhere! I always have a tin with the essentials ready to be picked up, and whenever I go out of the house for any length of time, I take my sewing. I always prep lots of sewing when I go on holidays – whether I sew or not is irrelevant. I just dread the thought of having time on my hands and not having any sewing.

If you had one secret sewing wish, what would it be? To make my quilt designing and teaching my full time job.